FDA “bell”: Rapid tests may not catch the Omicron mutation


Rapid coronavirus antigen tests, which have the great advantage of giving results in a matter of minutes, are less sensitive to the Omicron mutation than previous ones, the US warned yesterday, Tuesday (28/12). health authorities. This means that tests of this kind are likely to give false negative results, even if someone has been infected with Omicron. “Preliminary data suggest that antigen tests do detect the Omicron variant, but have reduced sensitivity,” said a statement from the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA). However, he noted that he continues to recommend their use, in compliance with the instructions for use. “If a person gets a negative result after taking an antigen test, but there are suspicions that he is infected (…), for example if he has symptoms (of COVID-19) or a high probability of infection due to exposure, it is important to do a molecular test (s.s. . PCR test) “, the organization stated. Antigen tests look for antigens on the surface of the virus, while molecular tests look for them […]

You may also like